Millet Tabbouleh | Gluten-Free + Easy

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This Millet Tabbouleh is a gluten-free twist on the classic Middle Eastern dish – full of bright and robust herby flavors and loaded with fresh veggies.

Have you ever had tabbouleh? It’s my absolute favorite Middle Eastern dish. And I’m not the only one who loves it — it was such an essential dip in the Arabian diet during the Middle Ages, that it gained the name “tabbouleh,” which literally means “dip.” It normally consists of bulgur wheat topped with finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and cucumber.

This Millet Tabouleh is a gluten-free twist on the classic; don’t worry, it’s still overflowing with robust herby flavor that’s perfectly balanced with buttery olive oil, tangy lemon, and hearty millet.

close up photo of millet tabbouleh in silver serving spoon in large bowl

photo of uncooked millet in small white bowlphoto of cooked millet in pot with wooden spoon

WHAT IS MILLET?

Millet comes from a variety of small-seeded grasses; so it’s technically a seed, not a grain! It’s indigenous to many parts of the world, but is predominantly grown in Africa and Asia. Millet has a subtle, nutty flavor that is almost similar to corn. It cooks just like a grain — add some water and heat, and it puffs up beautifully.

Some people prefer to dry toast their millet before cooking to enhance this nutty flavor, but for this recipe we’re cooking it as-is for a more neutral taste. You can find millet in the grains and cereals aisle of most grocery stores, or you can purchase it online. If you’re having difficulties, quinoa is another great gluten-free substitute!

INGREDIENTS FOR MILLET TABBOULEH

ingredients for millet tabbouleh on grey stone background

You only need 8 simple ingredients to make this ultra fresh gluten-free twist on the Middle Eastern classic. The best part? Every ingredient in this dish is packed with nutrients.

  • Dry Millet: hearty, chewy, fluffy, and delicate in texture, millet is the perfect pearly gluten-free pseudo-grain for this dish.
  • Lemon Juice: a traditional ingredient in tabbouleh, lemon brightens up the flavors in this dish, filling it with a tangy, juicy zest.
  • EVOO: another traditional component of tabbouleh, extra virgin olive oil balances out the bright, herby flavors and brings a soft, buttery element to the dish.
  • Garlic infused into our olive oil helps mellow out the intensity, while bringing out all the best garlic-y flavors.
  • Roma Tomato: is the best tomato for tabbouleh. It’s chewy flesh and low water content will help our nice tomato chunks hold up in the mixture.
  • Cucumber: adds a cool, crunchy texture and refreshing flavor.
  • Fresh Parsley & Mint Leaves: aka the stars of the show! Finely chopped parsley & mint take the herby freshness of this dish to the next level. 
  • Green Onion adds a delicious crunch and flavor kick, while not being very pungent like most other onions. 

HOW TO MAKE MILLET TABBOULEH

finely chopped vegetables in small white bowlsmixing bowl of cooked millet mixed with vegetables for millet tabbouleh

For this freshly chopped dish, it’s very important to finely dice all of the tabbouleh ingredients. One time-saving shortcut is to pulse the herbs in a food processor instead of chopping by hand. The time spent pulsing in the food processor is definitely worth it when you get a bit of each ingredient in every bite!

  1. Cook the millet and then transfer to a bowl to let cool.
  2. Combine the lemon juice, oil, and garlic to marinate.
  3. Add your tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint, green onions, and your lemon/garlic/oil mixture to the bowl and fold together.
  4. Let sit for 10+ minutes to allow the flavors to mingle, then
  5. Serve chilled!

hand scooping spoonful of millet tabbouleh out of serving bowl

Tabbouleh is a dish you definitely shouldn’t sleep on. Its bright and satisfying flavors are so herb-forward that every bite will leave you feeling a jolt of freshness. Tabbouleh is best served within the first 24 hours of making, to keep the herbs from getting soggy. But if you don’t want to enjoy immediately, you can store this in the fridge for up to 2 days.

This Millet Tabbouleh makes the perfect picnic salad or side to any dish, really. It’s excellent with some hummus and pita, but can also be served with any veggie-centric dish. It’s traditionally served as a side, but this herb-packed salad can also be transformed into a main when topped with a plant-based protein of your choice.

If you’re looking for more Middle Eastern-inspired side dishes like this one, you’ll also love my Best Ever Hummus, this Fattoush Salad With Creamy Sumac Dressing, and this Easy Baba Ganoush!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

 

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Millet Tabbouleh

This Millet Tabbouleh is a gluten-free twist on the classic Middle Eastern dish – full of bright and robust herby flavors and loaded with fresh veggies.

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 as a side 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2/3 cup (140 g) dry millet
  • Juice of 1 large lemon juice (34 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil*
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely minced or crushed
  • 1 cup (163 g) Roma tomato, finely diced
  • 1 cup (124 g) regular or English cucumber; seeds removed and diced
  • 2 bunches parsley, thick stems removed and leaves finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup (4 g) mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 35 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the Millet: add the millet, 1 1/3 cups (315 ml) of water, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
  2. Prep: In the meantime, combine the lemon juice, oil, and garlic together in a small bowl and let marinate while the millet cooks; this helps to mellow out the garlic flavor and infuse the oil. You can also chop and prepare the remaining ingredients during this time.
  3. Assemble: once the millet has cooled in its bowl, add the tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint, green onions, salt, and garlic/lemon/oil mixture to the bowl. Use a spatula to fold everything together until all ingredients are uniformly distributed. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, to allow the flavors to mingle.
  4. Serve: serve chilled, and as desired; this dish is a fresh & filling side to a meal, or can be topped with protein of choice for a main.

Notes

  • Oil-Free: you can replace the oil with 1/4 cup of tahini, but this will affect the final flavor. Whisk the lemon juice, tahini, and an additional 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water together before adding the garlic. Once a thin dressing forms, stir in the garlic and let sit.

Keywords: millet tabbouleh, gluten free tabbouleh, healthy tabbouleh, millet recipes, millet salad, millet with herbs

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About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. Holy smokes! This was delicious! I am saving this as a keeper as I’ve gone gluten free for 6 weeks and I absolutely love Tabouleh but had avoided due to quinoa… Thank you!!!!

  2. Very good! I thought millet would be a good gf sub and was very happy to find this recipe for it. I liked your advice about finely chopping all the veg and herbs. I did make the millet in the pressure cooker and mixed everything together in there once it had cooled. This is a keeper!